Google Apps General Questions

General Questions

What is Bboogle?

Bboogle (pronounced Buh-boo-gull) is a collaboration tool in the University's Blackboard-based Course Management System (Blackboard) that enables instructors to create and share content with students through Blackboard. Bboogle integrates Google Apps for Education services including Google Calendar, Docs, and Sites.

How does Bboogle Work?

The integration of Google Apps for Education with Blackboard-based Course Management System (Blackboard) enables instructors to collaborate with students via the students' "@alaska.edu" accounts. Blackboard allows instructors to create Docs, Calendars, and Sites within the Google Apps environment. Once created and linked within a Blackboard course site, this Google Apps content is shared automatically with all students enrolled in the course. Sharing settings for Docs and Sites by default assign the “collaborator” role for all students, allowing the students to edit and add to the linked Docs and Sites, though instructors can, if they wish, limit student privileges to only viewing the content. Students by default have only viewing access to a Google Calendar linked within Blackboard, though they can also be given “collaborator” rights by an instructor if s/he wishes to allow students to modify or add calendar information.

What types of content can I share with my class using Bboogle?

Bboogle enables instructors and students to work collaboratively by sharing in the authoring of documents of various sorts.

Word processing documents can be edited by several people at the same time and do not have to be sent around as attachments. Instructors can have students collaborate on documents in small groups, while keeping track of each students’ contributions.

Spreadsheets can be used to assemble information from several students simultaneously, giving them quick information-sharing and flexibility when they are working out in the field.

A Google site available to all students in a class can provide a simple and effective blogging tool, allowing each student to offer his/her own voice in response to learning content.

A large and complex document development project can be easily segmented within a Google site, allowing allocation of the work among smaller groups of students to produce a coherent whole.

A shared calendar can allow students to negotiate the scheduling of a complex project without requiring repeated face-to-face meetings.

Forms for collecting response data over the web can be created, allowing students to easily aggregate large amounts of data for study or analysis.

What is Google Apps @ UA?

Google Apps @ UA is an application created by Google that provides educational institutions with a set of software services to be used for collaboration, including Google Documents (Docs), Google Calendar, and Google Sites. To learn more, watch the video.

How does UAF use Google Apps for Education?

All UAF undergraduate and graduate students are provided with Google Apps for Education accounts when they enter the University. Student accounts are created in the @alaska.edu UA domain, offering e-mail, chat, calendar, documents, sites, and many more of Google's popular services. Graduating students are able to continue to use their accounts after leaving the University for up to a full calendar year.

How do I access Bboogle?

Instructors who have the ability to log in to Blackboard are provided with Bboogle accounts. Once the account is activated, clicking on any of the Google Apps services in the Tools area of any Blackboard course site will automatically log you in.

NOTE: If you receive an error message stating "Only users appropriately registered can use this tool..." you will need to request a Bboogle account. To request an account, submit a support request to the OIT Support Center. You will be notified when Bboogle is available to use.

Do I need to activate Bboogle?

You will need to activate your Bboogle account the first time you log in to Blackboard to use a Google Apps services for any Blackboard course site. Follow these steps:

Log in to the Blackboard.

Click on any of the "Google Apps" links (Docs, Calendar, Sites) in the "Tools" area on your "My Courses" page.

A separate window or tab will open displaying a picture of characters and a Terms of Service agreement. Type the characters in the picture and accept the Terms of Service. Note: If a separate window does not open, you will need to set your browser to allow pop-ups from the “uaf.edu” domain.

Your Bboogle account is now activated.

Do I have to be a user of Blackboard to use Bboogle?

Yes. You must be an instructor with access to Blackboard to use Bboogle. For information on setting up a Blackboard account, submit a support request to the OIT Support Center.

Where can I get additional support?

For all questions regarding Blackboard, submit a support request to the OIT Support Center.

Instructor Specific Questions

Are my students notified that I am using Bboogle?

No. Students are not automatically notified when an instructor starts using Bboogle, however students are notified once Google content is shared to the class. Instructors should inform their students of their @alaska.edu Google address after receiving login instructions. This address should only be used for sharing @ UA Documents, Sites, or Calendars with students or colleagues.

NOTE: The instructor's @alaska.edu address will always appear on e-mail invitations when a calendar, document or site is shared with the class from Blackboard.

Why would I add links to Bboogle content in the Course Management System?

You can add links to embed Google Calendars, Documents, and Sites in your Blackboard course site. The links enable you to organize your course site to your specifications and to integrate Google content with your other class materials. By sharing a Google Calendar, an instructor is offering every student in the class an opportunity to view class schedule information that is integrated with their personal UA calendars.

How is content shared with my students?

Sharing Bboogle content with a class enables your students to view the shared content in Blackboard and to be able to view or edit these materials from their Google Apps @ UA accounts. Sharing a course calendar enables your students to see the schedule of class events overlaid on their personal calendars.

Bboogle automatically shares calendars, documents, forms and sites with all students in your class. All you need to do is add a link to the content within the your Blackboard course. If you don't want to share this content with every member of the class, you can manage the sharing permissions on each content object within the Google Calendar, Docs and Sites services.

By default, Bboogle assigns read-only permissions for your course calendar. Documents are assigned with full editing permissions that permit real-time collaboration. Sites are also assigned with full editing permissions. All permission settings can be changed or revoked by you, as needed.

Do my students receive sharing invitations in their @alaska.edu accounts?

When you add a link to your Bboogle course calendar in Blackboard, your students will automatically receive sharing invitations in their @alaska.edu accounts. When a student accepts the sharing invitation, the class events will be added to the students' personal calendars.

Adding a link to Google Documents or Sites in Blackboard will not generate sharing invitations to your students. You can send sharing invitations to your students from your Google Documents or Sites before creating the link in Blackboard.

Can I modify my sharing permissions?

Yes. You can manage sharing permissions for your course calendar or for individual documents or sites directly in your Google services. Google Documents and Sites can be designated as read-only or can be edited in real-time according to the permissions that you set.

You can also set or revoke permissions on individual documents or on folders. Invitations to view the Bboogle content can be sent to your students' @alaska.edu accounts when you set the sharing permissions.

You may also wish to change your sharing permissions at the conclusion of each course.

Do I need to supply each student's @alaska.edu address when I share content directly from Google Docs or Google Sites?

No. Once your Bboogle account has been created, a group address for your class is automatically generated. You only need to supply the class address when you manually share Google documents or Google sites. The group address is the Blackboard CourseID that displays at the top of Blackboard pages, substituting the underscores for hyphens, and appending @alaska.edu. These Google Groups will be automatically updated based on changes to course enrollments.

As an example, for Blackboard course ID, ENGL_F111X_T01_201201, the class sharing address is ENGL-F111X-T01-201201@alaska.edu. When you use the class address for sharing, all of the students in the class will receive sharing invitations in their e-mail accounts.

Am I able to share the same content with more than one class?

Yes. Google Documents and Sites can be shared with any number of classes. As long as the content remains in your Google Docs or Sites list, you can share the same documents or sites with any of your classes.

What happens to my Bboogle account and the class content when my class ends?

Your account remains active and all of your linked content remains on Blackboard. You may want to revoke sharing permissions in your Google services on specific documents or sites.

What happens to my Bboogle account and class documents when I leave the University?

When you leave the University, your account is deactivated and you will lose access to your Google Documents and Sites. Learn how to export your documents before you leave the University.

Bboogle Functionality Questions

How should I use Google Calendar?

Your Google Apps @ UA account automatically provides you with a personal calendar. This calendar should not be shared with your students. You may create a new calendar to use for sharing assignment due dates, exam dates, office hours, etc. with your class. You can create any number of class calendars.

When you create a calendar link within Blackboard course site, the calendar is automatically shared with each member of the class.

How do I create or edit my course calendar?

You can get to the Google Calendar by logging in to Blackboard. Follow these steps:

Log in to Blackboard.

In the "Tools" area of your My Courses page, select @Google Apps Calendar.

How do I add a link to a Google Calendar in my Blackboard course site?

After creating a calendar in your @ UA account, you can post a link to the calendar in your course site.

Log in to the Blackboard.

Select the course where you want to post the link.

Choose a Content Area within your course.

Mouse over Add Interactive Tool and selectGoogle Apps Calendar.

Enter the required information:

Calendar Name - Select a calendar name from the drop down list. This list represents your current @ UA calendars.

Document Name - The name that appears will be visible on the link in your Blackboard course site. This name may be edited or renamed.

Link Text - Click here to access is the default text that will appear near the link. This text can be edited.

Available in Blackboard - SelectYes (expose to students - this is the default setting) or No (do not expose to students). These options can be changed at a later date.

Allow the class to edit - SelectYes or No. These options can be changed at a later date.

ClickSubmit. The calendar is automatically shared with your class.

What types of documents can I store in Google Docs in my account?

You have the ability to upload, store, and organize any type of file in Google Docs. Examples include: PDF, CAD, HTML, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, RAW photos, ZIP, or RAR archives. You can also create and manage Forms and related spreadsheets.

How do I access Google Documents to upload and manage my files or to change sharing permissions?

You can get to Google Docs by logging in to Blackboard. Follow these steps:

Log in to the Blackboard.

Click on "@ UA Google Apps Docs" in the "Tools" area on your "My Courses" page.

How do I add a link to a Google Document in my Blackboard course site?

Log in to the Blackboard.

Select the course where you want to post the link.

Choose a Content Area within your course.

Mouse over Add Interactive Tool and selectGoogle Apps Document.

Enter the required information:

Document Name - Select a document name from the drop down list. This list represents your current @ UA documents.

Document Name - The name that appears will be visible on the link in your Blackboard course site. This name may be edited or renamed.

Link Text - Click here to access is the default text that will appear near the link. This text can be edited.

Available in Blackboard - SelectYes (expose to students - this is the default setting) or No (do not expose to students). These options can be changed at a later date.

Allow the class to edit - SelectYes or No. These options can be changed at a later date.

ClickSubmit. The document is automatically shared with your class.

Can I restore a document or site back to an earlier version?

Yes. All Google Docs and Google Sites are versioned, so that every change in a document is treated as a revision. You are able to view the revision history for a document or site and can roll back updates to restore an earlier version. NOTE: Depending upon the sharing permissions you set, students may have versioning access.

How do I get to my Google Sites to create and update a site or to change sharing permissions?

You can get to Google Sites by logging in to Blackboard. Follow these steps:

Log in to the Blackboard.

Click on "@ UA Google Apps Sites" in the "Tools" area on your "My Courses" page.

How do I add a link to a Google Site in Blackboard?

Log in to the Blackboard.

Select the course where you want to post the link.

Choose a Content Area within your course.

Mouse over Add Interactive Tool and selectGoogle Apps Site.

Enter the required information:

Site Name - Select a site name from the drop down list. This list represents your current @ UA sites.

Document Name - The name that appears will be visible on the link in your Blackboard course site. This name may be edited or renamed.

Link Text - Click here to access is the default text that will appear near the link. This text can be edited.

Available in Blackboard - SelectYes (expose to students - this is the default setting) or No (do not expose to students). These options can be changed at a later date.

Allow the class to edit - SelectYes or No. These options can be changed at a later date.

Where can I learn more about Google Documents?

Where can I learn more about Google Sites?

What are Site Templates?

Google provides a gallery of Site Templates which can be selected and used as a starting point for a new site. Examples are the Classroom template and the Project wiki template. After you start with the template, you can add and revise information to customize your site. Templates also enable you to promote a common look and feel for sites within your school.